Rotary alarm device



vQa. ,9, ma 1,686,692 L..'A. G'RIMES ROTARY ALARM DEVICE Filed June 25,v 192.5 2 Shoals-Sheet 1 vrs E n V t Oct. 9, 1928.

L. A. GRIMES ROTARY ALARM DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1925 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

UNITED STA LESTER A. GRrMEs, oE MONTCLAIE, NEW JERSEY, AssIGNoRTo c'RiinEsA SPRINKLER COMPANY, iNo., or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AgcoRPoRATIoN E NEW JERSEY.

ROTARY ALARM DEVICEv Y v Application led` June 25, `19525. Serial No. 39,435.

The present invention relates primarily to mechanical alarm devices used in connection with automatic sprinkler systems for the putting out of fires.

Such devicesl ordinarily comprise a 'water motor Vconnected with the v.sprinkler system, and a gong actuated by the motor. Usually the motor is installed Within the building, and the gong 'on the exterior in order'that the alarm may beheard throughout the neighbor` hood in the event of fire. Such installations necessitate the making of a` hole through the v building wall; and experience has Vshown that it isA diflicult to get the motor and gong so aligned and positioned on opposite sides of the wall that the driving shaft connection'between the two'will at all times run true'.

One object of the present invention istlie Vprovision of means whereby accurate alignment becomesnon-esseiitial, this isaccomplished by a universal joint connection between the driving'shaft and the shaft of the motor, and a connection between the other end of the driving shaft and thefknocker arm of the gong by which the shaft may have-al substantial degree of lateral movement, to adjust itself to out-of-alignment positioning,`while the kiiocker arm is securely held in an immovable bearing. i

Another object is the provision of means vwhereby the motor and gong may be quickly put in place onopposite sides of the wall and fixedly secured in position'.

The accompanying drawings 'are for the purpose of illustrating means for accomplish- 'Y ing these objects, but it is to be expressly understood that they are not to be taken as defining the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for thatV purpose. In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the device as a whole installed in position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section` of the n knocker arm and its support; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevation taken right of Fig. 2. n

In the embodiment of the invention as from the shown in the drawings, A is'the wall of the e f internally recessed as at engage the pipe E, the-latter'bein'g externally threaded at eachend. VThis pipe extends throughthefwall, and at its outer end is covered by the cap F TES; PATENT OFFCE* A CII.

The gong G is protected by the cover plate H, both being held iii place bythe bolt J supported bythe frame I. This frame is provided-with an opening K through which fthe pipe E projects to' receive'itscap F. When the cap is iii-position, its inner edge contacts with the fraineI, and by turning the cap downv tightly both the motor and the gong are securelyiheld as shown. y

The knockei' arm L has a slot M at eachend to receive the knockers N-N, 'each knocker being loosely mounted onfa shaft O positioned The knockerarm is provided with hollow 'shaft P,'the two being preferablyintegrally Atransversely to the slot and supported by the I cast wliichsha-ft' rotates in the lbearing Q. p

This bearing is" externally threaded at its outer endl to engage an internally threaded' centrally located opening in the cap F. The

shaft'P projects inwardly beyond its bearing Q,'and at its iiinereiid'is provided with a ring R secured iii-position asby the pin S, to prevent the shaft from' having outward axial movement. The bearing Qv is preferably .E

T to provide space ,foralubricant v j f A A l Midway between its endsthe knocker ai'in -L is provided with a centrally apertured re- Y cess U into which is loosely fitted the key'V.

i The driving shaft W isconnected'at its4 inner end to the shaft of the motor by a universal joint X of any suitable construction. 'The other end of the driving shaft passes vfreely i through t-he bore of the. shaft P, on through the aperture in the recess,` U, and at its outer end takes the key V, the latter being securely held in place on the shaft asby the set screws Y Y. The aperture in the recess U is concentric with Athe boreof shaft P, and may be provided with a somewhat rounded side wall, as shown, to Aserve as a fulcrum for the drivingshaft. If; notrv so shaped, or suiiiciently thin to serve as a fulcrum, the aperture should be. of adiametei somewhat greater than that of the"y curely fixed, and the driving shaft' will takef any position'necessary to compensate for outof-alignment relation between the motor and gongf-the universal joint at the inner end of:

the driving shaft permitting a certain degree of yangularity between the axis of that shaft and the axis ofthe motor shaft, and the outer endv 0f the, driving shaft being free to permit 0f a certain degree of sidewise movement because of the play permitted between the key andI its recess inthe knocker arm. As a further aid to quick assembly of the parts, the driving shaft need not be of an accurately predetermined l.ength,-care being taken:y only to have itvsulficiently long to take onv the knocker andv key. V] hen the installationfis complete, except for putting in place the gong and its cover, any eXtra length of shaft can be readily cut oft just beyond the key.

t will be observed thatt-he pipe E-servcs not only as' a' means for securingfVt-he motor and gong ingplace and in tixedrelation with each other, but also as a-A protective covering for ,the driving shaft; further, while the knocker arm rotateson-a-fixedlaxisfwith relation to the gong, its connection with the driving shaft such as to permit lateral play of the shaft and its automatic adjustment tocompensate for out-of-alignment bositioning whereby the driving shaft is at all times freely revoluble and positive in its actuation of the knocker.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed:

l. In a device of the character described, a water motor and a gong in combination with means for retaining the same in: position, a

rk-nocker arm having therein-a centrally apertured recess, abearingcarried'by said retainingmeans, a shaft for said knocker arm arranged to rotate in said bearing, a driving shaft connected with' said motor and"A freely passing through said aperture, and akey secured to said shaft and loosely fitting within said recess and arranged t0 rotate said knocker arm.

2. In a device of the character described, a water. motor anda gong., in ,combination with means for retaining the same in position, a knocker arm and a shaft therefor, a .bearing carried by said retaining means and arranged to receivesaid shaft, and a driving shaft'iselfadj ust-in g throughout its entire lengthtextending through said retaining means and connecting said' motor and knocker arm.

3. -In a device. of. the character described comprising a water motor and a gong, in combinationwith means for retaining the same in position,ra bearing carried by said retaining means, aiknocker arm,ay shaft connected with said arm andV arrangedto rotate inzsaidbearing, a driving4 shaftleXtending through said retaining means and. said knocker arm shaft but not'incontact therewith, and a lost motion connection between said driving shaft and saidvknocker arm. i

la In adevice of. the character described v comprising -aiwater motor andl'agong,.in com bination with means for. retaining the same in posit-ion, a bearing, carried` by saidw retaining means, a knocker arm, a shaft connected with said arinand arrangedlto rotate insaid bea-ring, driving shaft. extending through. said retaining means, and:V means aty each end'. of said shaft arranged. to connecty respectively withthe motor shaft and theknockenarmand to .compensate for out-of-alignme-nt positioning ofthe motor and gong..

5; In, a device ofthe character'described, comprising a water. motor and a gongfoperated thereby and. designed tobe positioned-on the opposite sides-cfa wallga pipe adapted. to passfthrough the wall andfto'be connected'w-ith said motor to support the' same, means-at? tached: tosaid pipef for retaining the gong in position, a knocker arm and a shaft therefor,

bea-rings for said shaft -carr-iedby said ret'ainf i Intestimony whereof, Iv have' signedf-my name to-thisspecification;

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